Celebrating Mission Grants

By Tamica Smith-Jeuitt, Senior Communications SpecialistPhoto right:One Honduran girl is seen with a dress that was made by a member of the Sewing Grace Ministry.

Photo below right:Suzy Thames is making a girl's dress while Cash sits nearby to keep her company.

"The little dresses were a hit. In three days we saw 2,500 people, lots of boys and men, so the t-shirts went fast." The quote from Melanie Black is one of many shared in a witness report from the Sewing Grace Ministry of Magee First UMC to the Mississippi Annual Conference. Black is part of their Honduran Missions Team.

Sewing Grace Ministry is a service ministry hosted by the sanctuary choir at Magee First UMC. Their prayerful purpose is to provide serviceable little dresses, t-shirts and baby blankets for grateful children in the Honduras mission field. The ministry's vision is that by distributing new articles of clothing to the children of Honduras, they are actively spreading Christian love and Christian hope to 'the least of these.'

Last summer, Sewing Grace Ministry was able to increase their giving in Honduras thanks to the Mississippi Conference Mission Grants. These matching grants are available to United Methodist churches and United Methodist sponsored or related agencies. Sewing Grace Ministry requested and received a $1,200 grant giving them a total of $2,400 for the project. The grant was possible thanks to the generosity of Mississippi United Methodists.The funds paid for fabric, thread, wholesale purchase of t-shirts and blankets. In the end, Sewing Grace Ministry delivered 1,000 boys t-shirts, 600 blankets for infants and 1,000 handmade dresses for girls in Honduras.

One partner of Sewing Grace Ministry living in Honduras, Marina Calderon, a pastor, has sent the ministry several pictures of the children in the clothes and blankets. In the witness report, Calderon is quoted -- "I hope this will be a blessing for you and your team and specifically for the ladies that take time to make the dresses; please tell them we love them..."

Mission Grants are awarded to form spiritual leaders, new places for new people, connections through existing congregations and engagement in ministry with the poor; therefore, living out the four Core Values of The POWER of We,

Need to strengthen or start a ministry? Follow The Circuit Rider for details on how to apply for the annual Mission Grants in the fall.

The Mississippi Annual Conference—empowered by love, generosity, justice and apprenticeship—forms spiritual leaders, faith communities and connections so more disciples of Jesus Christ transform the world.